


Offers

by Jathis



Series: The Steward and the Sorcerer [22]
Category: Sofia the First (Cartoon)
Genre: Asexual Relationship, Fluff, Forgiveness, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28121847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: There’s a new tea shop in the kingdom
Relationships: Baileywick/Cedric the Sorcerer
Series: The Steward and the Sorcerer [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091021
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Offers

He always made it a habit to visit new tea shops to check the quality of their leaves. Finding new sources to buy from was always welcome. It was also nice to find new blends being sold and he liked to surprise Cedric with small pouches of fresh tea whenever he saw the sorcerer was running low.

Baileywick stepped into the small shop and found shelves filled with jars of different blends. He smiled to himself, walking down a row of them, reading the names. “Oh this looks very promising,” he hummed. He stopped in front of one of the jars, lifting up the lid to smell. He heard someone approach from behind, a clerk or the owner of the shop.

“Hello, welcome to our shop! All blends are from our native Rudistan and further. We have a...tasting...room…”

Baileywick straightened up when he heard the other falter and he frowned as he turned around. Why did that voice sound so familiar?

“Baileywick!” Slickwell hissed.

Ah, that was why.

“Slickwell, you opened your own tea shop?” he asked.

The younger man snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Hardly! I work here as a clerk and tea sampler,” he huffed. “No one will hire me as a steward anymore. Because of  _ you _ .”

“I do not recall telling anyone not to hire you.”

“No, but everyone heard about what happened at the Jubilee! After Magnus fired me, my references became useless! No one cares about my education or years of experience! They only care about what happened with  _ you _ .”

“You gave me a cursed object to take my job from me.”

“You’re getting old anyway! It’s not fair that you continue to hold a job someone else could have by now,” Slickwell hissed. “How many years do you have left? Maybe three? Five if you’re lucky.”

Baileywick gave him a dry look over the rim of his glasses. “I’m only sixty-six,” he said.

“You’ve got one foot in the grave! Most stewards would have retired by now! Someone else should be given a chance.”

“Someone like you?”

The former steward glared at him, his hands clenched into fists briefly before he relaxed them. The last thing he needed was to be arrested for attacking someone. “What do you want?”

“I came here for tea. I had no idea you were working here when I came in.”

“Well now you know so buy something or leave,” he snapped.

He sighed, turning back to the shelf. He gestured to one of the jars with a tilt of his head. “Two pounds of this one, please.”

Slickwell rolled his eyes. “You would pick a floral one,” he muttered. He took the jar and headed to the front of the shop, measuring it out before pouring it into a pouch.

Baileywick watched him quietly, his hands behind his back in thought. “Slickwell, how long have you been without a job?”

“...this is my first one since being fired,” the other muttered. He refused to look at Baileywick as the tea was paid for, shoving the pouch and his change across the counter. “You can go now.”

He looked the other over, tilting his head in thought. “The castle is always hiring,” he offered.

“I have several degrees and awards! I’m not lowering myself to below royal steward! I’m not some peasant!” Slickwell said.

“I was,” Baileywick said with a shrug. “His Highness is not focused on one’s breeding or education as much as Magnus, but he always gives people a fair chance.” He slipped the pouch into his pocket, humming as he adjusted his coat just so. “The offer still stands,” Baileywick said before taking his leave.

Slickwell watched him leave, crossing his arms over his chest.

***

Cedric looked out the window of his tower, frowning as something down below caught his eye. He placed his hands on the sill and leaned forward. “Hey…”

Baileywick looked up from his reading, “yes?”

“Isn’t that the one who tried to steal your job? What’s  _ he  _ doing here?” Cedric demanded. He pointed the figure out when Baileywick walked to his side. “Down there.”

“Ah!” Baileywick smiled, “I offered him a job.”

“You offered him a job?! After he tried to make you retire to steal yours?” Cedric asked. He snorted, “he’s lucky I was busy at the time with Greylock! I would have turned him into a tiny mouse and fed him to a cat!” Baileywick raised an eyebrow at the threat and Cedric shrugged. “Or something similar,” he said.

“Everyone deserves a second chance.” He watched Cedric blush at his words and he smiled.

“Well...my offer still stands. If he tries anything then I shall deal with him personally!” Cedric declared. 

He chuckled softly, kissing Cedric on the temple. “I feel safer already,” he said.


End file.
